FreeNAS on Esxi on a R710

Hello r/homelab,

I've been meaning to do this for awhile now, but have been busy.

This is a short write up on how I have FreeNAS running on Esxi on a R710.

Spec are and R710 with 32GB of RAM, 6x3TB reds and a 1x480GB SSD.

M1015 HBM/Raid card in IT mode verson 20** this was replacing a H700, so I had the proper cables

Only special part is this

First and foremost I am by no means an expert and only have gotten this far by trial an error. If you know what you are doing this can be a fun.

So this really isn't going to be a guide, just give you some info on how I set everything up, after some trial error, and lots and lots of googling.

Once I finally got everything in and did the proper research I finally kind of knew what I was doing.

1. Make sure you have all the things, if you have any questions please ask. Biggest thing is you will have to have a separate place to store your VM since we will be passing through the whole M1015 and you can't use a Flash drive.

2. Flash the Card into IT mode V20/P20/ whatever 20. Install the Card into the server, don't use the integrated storage slot it won't work, make sure you have the proper cables, and do it with the server unplugged, but grounded. (find out why below)

3. Install Esxi to the internal USB/SD card both work fine.

4. Fine a place for your SSD and mount it with some tape so its out of the way. The cable I listed above is needed. I would recommend installing Esxi 1st as the cable that plugs up to ware the CD drive plugs and if you want it out of the way it probably going to go the other way.

5. Install all your drives

6. Create a data store and install FreeNAS onto the SSD, leave your HDD alone. FreeBSD, 4 cores, 16 GB is a good to start with I would go 32GB if you can.

7. Once installed, make sure FreeNAS boots up probably.

8. Shut FreeNAS down and pass through the raid card. Thats under vSphere, Config, Advanced Settings, Edit and should be something like LSI Logic / Sysmbios Logic.

9. Reboot the Host and make sure you can see your VMs and the Raid card is pass through.

10. Boot up freenas and make sure you can see your drives, if you are getting errors, make sure you card is flashed to the latest IT mode.

11. Thats it. Now config to your hearts content.

Recommendation,

Don't do it unless you know what you are doing. This is some of my 1st experience with Esxi and I beat my head on this for a good 24h before I finally got it going.

Use a nice and big SSD, since most of your VM will be living on there.

Use Veaam backup.

Use a RaidZ2, just to be safe.

Have fun and ask for help.

Some of the things I had problems with was...

Since I had to pass through the whole Raid card. Had to find a way to power the SSD hence the special part.

I Worked on the server while plugged up, but off. I pop the fuse on my raid card which I had to solder a jumper.

Updating the M1015 to IT mode, I couldn't flash it inside the server. Used an old Optiplex to do it, how ever

updated the firmware from 15 to 20 did work inside the server.

The Mini-SAS cable are a tiny bit to short to reach the M1015

I thought the card could go in the R710 internal storage slot, I was wrong so I have no bracket for the card so its hanging lose

Finding a place to place my lose SSD

Some setting on the VM for proper pass through of the Ethernet, and jails on freenas not updating to the proper DNS Idrac express is ok, but Idrac Enterprise is basically magic.

*Note I'm about 21, tier 1 and this is some of the 1st real server work I have done, mistake were made and I have learned a lot.

P.S. Sorry for the crappy write up. I'm not the best with words or formatting.